Insulated rail-joint.



No. 744,832; PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

- G. A. WEBER.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLIG-ATION FILED APR. 15. 1903.

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iliviTn STATns Patented November 24, 1903.

aTnwT FlFllCEt GEORGE A. YVEBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THEWEBER RAIL- WAY JOINT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR-PORATION OF VEST VIRGINIA.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,882, dated.November 24:, 1903.

Application filed April 15, 1903. Serial No. 152,740. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. \IVEBER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county,

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Insulated Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification,accompanied by drawings.

' My invention relates to railroad-railjoints, I0 but more particularlyto insulated joints for railroad-rail sections; and the objects of myinvention are to increase the efficiency of the joint and enable ahigher degree of insulation to be obtained than heretofore.

Another object of my invention is to afford more adequate means thanheretofore for securing the insulation in position beneath the bases ofthe meeting ends of the rails.

Further objects of my invention will hereinafter appear, andto theseends my invention consists of an insulated joint embodying the featuresof construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of partssubstantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed in thisspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure1 is a side View of a rail-joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent the meeting ends ofrail-sections, as shown, the bases of the rails being supported upon asuitable rail-chair O, comprising the base D and bolt-plate or uprightE, there being a fillet or spiking-rib F extending longitudinally of therail-chair at the juncture of the base and upright. Suitable insulationG may be inserted between the meeting faces of the ends of therail-sections, and the base H of at least one of the rails is insulatedfrom the base D of the rail-chair by suitable insulation, hereinafter tobe described, and according to my invention improved means are 45provided for securing the insulation in position beneath the bases ofthe rails.

Arranged each side of the joint and extending along the webs I of therails are secured filling-blocks J, of any suitable material,

shown in this instance as wood, one of these blocks being insertedbetween the webs of the rails and the upright E of the angle-chair,while a strengthening-bar K extends across the joint outside of theother block J.

Suitable bolts L secure the parts of the joint together, and means areprovided for insulating said bolts from the metallic parts of the joint,as shown in this instance insulating-sleeves 0 being arranged over theshanks of the bolts to insulate them from the upright E of theangle-chair and from the strengthening-bar K. Insulating-washers P areinserted between the metallic washers Q and the upright E and thestrengthening-bar K, respectively. The heads R of the bolts L and nuts Sbear upon the washers Q.

Owing to the vibration in the joint due to constant wear and tear andtravel thereover the insulation beneath the bases of the rails is apt tobecome displaced and slide out of 7 place, thus permitting shortcircuits, and it is desirable that secure and efficient means beutilized for maintaining the insulation in proper position beneath therails to insulate the bases of the rails from the rail-chair O. It isalso desirable that the insulation beneath the bases of the rails be ofsuch character that it will stand vibration and wear without substantialinjury which may cause short circuits. In Fig. 3 a tough insulating 8ofabric T is arranged between two insulating layers U of fiber, and ifdesired the three layers may be riveted to each other by suitable rivetsV, of insulating material. The layers U of fiber protect the thinnerinsulating layer T of fabric, while the combination of insulating layersproduces high insulation of great wearing quality. The rivets V, whichmay be arranged at any suitable intervals throughout the layers, add tothe effi- 9o ciency and toughness of the layers. As shown in thedrawings, a portion W of the fabricT is extended beyond the layers U offiber and carried upwardly between the block J and the upright E of therail-chair, so that when the joint is tightened by tightening the headsS of the bolts L the portion W of insulating fabric T is securelyclamped or pinched between the block J and upright E. According to thisconstruction secure and efficient 10o means are provided for maintainingthe insulating layers in position beneath the bases of the rails, andanother function of the rivets V is here apparent, for they prevent thefabric from slipping from between the layers U of fiber, thus making thethree layers as one. The fabric T is so thin that the portion Wextending between the block J and upright E does not derange the jointin any manner, but permits the block J to lie fiat against the uprightE.

Obviously some features of my invention may be used without others, andmy invention may be embodied in widelyvarying forms.

Therefore without limiting myself to the construction shown anddescribed nor'enumerating equivalents, I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, the following:

1. An insulated joint for railroad-rail sections comprising the meetingends of rails, an angle-chair, insulating-blocks of packing materialarranged at each side of the joint, and insulation between the chair andthe base of at least one of the rails, said insulation comprising a thinintermediate sheet of highlyinsulating material between protectinglayers of insulating material, the intermediate sheet being extendedupwardly between one of the insulating-blocks and the rail-chair, to aidin maintaining the insulation in position upon the chair, forsubstantially the purposes set forth.

2. An insulated joint for railroad-rail sections comprising the meetingends of rails, an angle-chair, insulating-blocks of packing materialarranged at each side of the joint, and insulation between the chair andthe base of at least one of the rails, said insulation comprising a thinintermediate sheet of highlyinsulating fabric between protecting layersof insulating fiber, the intermediate sheet being extended upwardlybetween one of the insulating-blocks and the rail-chair, to aid inmaintaining the insulation inposition upon the chair, for substantiallythe purposes set forth. N

3. An insulated joint for railroad-rail sections comprising the meetingends of rails, an angle-chair, insulating-blocks of packing materialarranged at each side of the joint, and insulation between the chair andthe base of at least one of the rails, said insulation comthe rails,said insulation comprising a thin layer of material between relativelythicken layers, and the insulation being maintained in position by meansof a portion of the intermediate layer, for substantially the purposesset forth.

5. An insulated rail-joint, comprising the meeting ends of rails and asuitable rail-supporttherefonmcans for maintainingsaid rails inalinement, and insulated bolts for securing the parts of the jointtogether, there being insulation beneath the base of at least one of therails, said insulation comprising a thin layer of material betweenrelatively thicker layers, said thin layer being extended and gripped.between two suitable parts of the joint to hold the insulation beneaththe rail, for substantially the purposes set forth.

6. An insulated rail-joint, comprising the meeting ends of railssuitably maintained in alinement and insulated from each other, therebeing insulation arranged beneath the base of at least one of the rails,said insulation consisting of a plurality of layers of material rivetedtogether by insulating-rivets, for substantially the purposes set forth.

7. An insulated rail-joint, comprising the meeting ends of railssuitably maintained in alinement and insulated from each other, at leasta portion of the insulation used in the joint consisting of a pluralityof layers of material riveted together by insulating-rivets, forsubstantially the purposes set fort-h1- In testimony whereof I havesigned this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. WEBER.

\Vitnesses: 7

E. VAN ZANDT, A. L. OBRIEN.

